Robustness of 650-V Enhancement-Mode GaN HEMTs Under Various Short-Circuit Conditions

This paper presents the short-circuit behavior and degradation of 650-V/60-A enhancement-mode Gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) under various test conditions. First, this paper introduces the basic information of device, test method, and platform. Subsequently, single pulse, 10-μs short-circuit tests are performed from 50 to 400 V to extract the typical behavior of devices. Both short-circuit current self-regulation phenomenon and quick failure have been observed. Simultaneously, the short-circuit behavior of the device at various gate drive voltages and temperatures has been explored to identify the protection condition. Then, repetitive short-circuit tests have been performed to reveal device degradation trends. As a result, their output current reduction and gate-to-source threshold voltage shift have occurred. This paper shows the critical need to improve the robustness of this type of GaN HEMT from the device and circuit perspectives.